Into The Shadows
by Onyx.Blaze
Summary: One night, everything is taken from you. left horribly scarred, both physically, emotionally, and psychologically. The only path left is through the darkness, and you must find your own way through the darkness, with no one to hold onto. Loose yourself to the night, and follow the crescent moon to safety. Rate M for gore and possible future lemon.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1- Torture

* * *

The Howling- Within Temptation

"We've been seeing what you wanted, got us cornered right now  
Fallen asleep from our vanity, might cost us our lives  
I hear they're getting closer  
Their howls are sending chills down my spine  
And time is running out now  
They're coming down the hills from behind

When we start killing  
It's all coming down right now  
From the nightmare we've created,  
I want to be awakened somehow

When we start killing it all will be falling down  
From the Hell that we're in  
All we are is fading away  
When we start killing...

We've been searching all night long but there's no trace to be found  
It's like they all have just vanished but I know they're around  
I feel they're getting closer  
Their howls are sending chills down my spine  
And time is running out now  
They're coming down the hills from behind

When we start killing  
It's all coming down right now  
From the nightmare we've created  
I want to be awakened somehow

When we start killing it all will be falling down  
From the Hell that we're in  
All we are is fading away  
When we start killing...  
When we start killing...

I feel they're getting closer  
Their howls are sending chills down my spine  
And time is running out now  
They're coming down the hills from behind

The sun is rising  
The screams have gone  
Too many have fallen  
Few still stand tall  
Is this the ending of what we've begun?  
Will we remember what we've done wrong?

* * *

.

...

.  
The six year old girl smiled and looked up at her brother with shining gray eyes, a huge smile lighting her face. He gave her hand a small squeeze and pulled her gently alongside him, following their parents slowly. The girl started humming a light happy tune as she skipped along. When they finally reached their home they all filed through the door, unaware of what waited as they chatted about what they were going to do for dinner. The little girl released her brothers hand and ran through the house towards the living room, where she switched on the television, calling out for them to join her. That was when she saw them. Sitting against the wall, watching her with cold eyes. She froze, her eyes becoming locked with a pair of dark blue ones, barely visible above the black scarf over the face. They stood, eying each other, before a slight movement of another broke their trance.  
Time froze for a moment, in which she blinked desperately. Then, without warning, the man stood. She screamed. There was a flurry of movement, and then harsh hands pulled her to the ground. She let out an ear- splitting shriek, which was cut off quickly. And then, she knew nothing.

..

...

...

..

Her once- shining burnt orange locks hung loosely, arms bound tight behind her chair. She no longer fought to keep her head up, fear and pain bowing her down. Her eyes were closed against the glare of the lights that were directly before her, against the heat that scorched her skin and ripped the breath from her lungs. She could feel blood trickle down her collarbones, could taste its metallic tang on her tongue, could feel torrents slipping down her broken body. It was pure agony that pulsed through her body, tears blurring her fading vision. Her muscles cramped and she had to stifle a cry of pain as she felt yet another blade meet the tender skin of her adolescent stomach. It was torture. There was no other word for what she was being put through, and her mind seemed keen on reminding her of it. She no longer knew the time, the day, where she was, her own name... She only knew pain. Why was she here? Why did it hurt? Nothing passed before her eyes as she saw white. The loud hum in her ears holding out everything.

The lights dimmed. The heat recessed. And then, that horrid voice returned, demanding.  
"Where is it?"

She felt relief as the pain receded for the moment, her eyes fluttering open, a blurry mesh of colors becoming more and more clear. She blinked, and finally saw. A man, and a woman. Strapped with equal tightness to chairs of their own, looking only slightly disheveled, their eyes glazed and empty. Did she know them? Were they important? Were they waiting, knowing that soon, they would be in the same agony?

She blinked again. This time another figure came to her, slightly pushed away from the other two. A young man. Beaten and bloodied, he was struggling against his bonds desperately, trying to break free. His head was down as he strained against the ropes and cuffs holding him down, his dark, shaggy hair obscuring his face. Was he scared? Did he wish to escape the pain that she was going through? She could tell, even through her blurred eyes and her pain- shot brain, that it was impossible. He was bound too tightly. She could see slight shadowy figures surrounding them, preventing escape. Didn't he see? He was stuck, so why try? What could drive him to struggle so?

Her ears started to clear slightly, as the pain faded more. The ringing dimmed, and other sounds were filtered into her tired brain. Someone was screaming. Was it the boy before her? What was he yelling? She strained her ears, trying to make her muddled senses work. At first only unintelligible, muffled syllables reached her. Then slowly, she heard.  
"-me... let go!... off of h... Hime!... ease!... No..."

Another pain shot through her as she felt the flame lick at the skin of her wrist. She flinched, her eyes widening as she finally saw the boys face. She knew him. His face as familiar to her as her own. Her mouth opened as she tried to force words out, to respond to his now- desperately screaming plea.

"Orihime! No! Please! Stop hurting her!"

She heard a dry chuckle next to her ear, and heard another voice chime in. "He wants us to stop. Isn't that cute? He thinks his pleading will make it." She felt the flat side of the knife against her cheek, pulling her head to the side slightly as the man behind her snickered. "Such a pretty face," He cooed. "I wonder, what would happen, if I scarred this skin?" Horror flitted through her veins as her eyes locked with her brothers, and she was only awarded a moment to see his eyes widen drastically, his mouth opening in a desperate yell, before she felt the blade shred her skin. Once, twice. A third time. Pain. Blood welled up, running down her cheek, mixing with her tears to form a red river. A sob broke through her chest, the first sound she remembered making. Her cheek stung viciously, the cuts burning slightly where her salty tears ran over them. Her mouth opened in another sob, this time starting to form a word. A few more choking attempts, and she managed to grind out his name, feeling it grate painfully against her raw throat.

"Sora."

His eyes widened marginally as he heard her voice, and he started to struggle all the more desperately, wishing to go to her. A lone tear escaped his eye as he watched the blood drip down her now- marred face. She choked out his name, again, and again, desperate. She could feel her memories slipping, and she chanted that single word, begging, hoping to not forget them.  
Some distant part of her mind realized that the man and the woman to her left were her parents, but she could not tear her gaze from her brother's figure to look at them. Once again, that slithering voice washed over her as the man hissed in amusement.

"Would you look at that... She wants her brother to save her. Sora..." He tapped the knife on the back of her chair, making small clinks as he contemplated something. "Do you like his name, child? Hmm... I could make it, so that you never part with that name again. Would that make you happy?" Forbidding washed through the air, as cold metal was pressed to her throat. "How about your neck? Such nice, smooth skin... I think it would look good here. Hard place to miss, there isn't it? Ohh.. it will be very bloody as well... I can't wait." His voice, twisted and sadistic, sent shivers down her spine, and she gasped as the point finally pressed to her neck.

She felt her skin split and rip as he slowly, tortuously drug the knife through her body, carving out a symbol. So long, it seemed to take, as the pain doubled, and redoubled itself. His screams beginning to reverberate through her ears as he watched the first letter carved. The knife finally left her skin, and a large, bloody letter was left, forever to be etched into her. 'S' Then next, the blade returning. 'O' Pain was all she knew now, she could no longer hear his voice, the ringing returning. 'R' Her vision blurred, and she started to feel faint. Finally, the last letter was the most excruciating. 'A'

It was done. Carved perfectly in jagged letters across her throat. 'SORA' She heard it, then. The choked sob that was coming from in front of her, and she looked. Tears were streaming down his face, and agony only allowed her those last few moments to see, to hear, to speak. The last words she said, the last thing they heard, before her consciousness finally broke, and she fell into darkness.

"Don't cry Nii-chan."

There was silence.

..

...

..  
.

* * *

This is my first story Ive uploaded, so please be kind in your reviews. This chapter is just setting the scene for the rest of the story, so it may be a bit confusing right now. I want to make this a fairly long story, and with my ideas always broadening, I hope that some of you like it. Please tell me your thoughts.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2- Confusion

* * *

Fade Into (The Ocean)- 10 years

"Broken shoulders resting on my back  
Overloaded with a weight stacked  
Higher and higher  
Time runs tired

Silence falls into the deafening  
Sirens of my own epiphany  
Silence falls into the deafening  
Sirens of my own epiphany

My own mortality

Here I lie with my regrets  
Possessions petty meaningless  
You are my medicine  
Healing me with tenderness

Don't go, don't go  
Don't go, don't go  
Don't go, don't go

I don't know, don't go  
I don't know, don't go  
I don't know, don't go  
I don't know what is happening

What is happening

(Is this the end?)  
(Oh my God)  
(Is this the end?)  
(Or just the beginning?)

Broken body crumbles into dust  
Weight is lifted sending me with love  
Higher and higher  
Time expired

The silent come, re awakening  
Pass me on into eternity  
The silent come, re awakening  
Passing on into eternity

Cry no more for me"

* * *

No sound filtered through her ears when she regained her consciousness. The room was not as bright as it had been previously, and it took a few moments for a realization to reach her pain- addled brain. She could no longer see out of her left eye. She blinked desperately, hoping to regain her vision, but it was to no avail. Nothing but darkness came to her. Panic started to flit through her, and she turned her head a bit too quickly, tearing the tiny amount of scar tissue that was growing over her wounds. A loud whimper left her as pain laced through her body, fresh blood dripping down. She stilled for a few minutes, waiting for the pain to dull again. It took longer than she remembered, and the pain was accompanied by a stinging throb that made her believe the cuts and burns were infected. Not that it would surprise her if they were, given the circumstance in which she got them. The case that they were never cleaned and the place she was chained in was filthy and damp probably did not help the fact any.

She turned slowly to look at her brother- or rather, where her brother was previously seated. When her eyes met the chair, she was startled to find it empty, as were the other two chairs that had previously held her parents.

She looked around for any sign of where they were, and seeing as she had no idea of how long she'd been unconscious, she couldn't tell how far they'd been taken, or how long they had been gone. The only fruit of her search ended up in the form of a cloaked figure, standing guard, it seemed. Her eyes blurred in and out of focus for some time as she tried to make out anything of him. Thus far, that was the only clue she seemed to have gotten. The lines of the body beneath the clothes were distinctly male, the planes and surfaces far too straight and angular for a woman. Her head felt like it was splitting open, the moment she opened her mouth and let out her voice.

"What do you want?" Raspy and quiet, she was surprised that her voice even carried far enough for the man to hear.

The man cocked his head to one side, studying the broken child. He stared for a few moments before turning away and walking out of the room. She frowned after him, confused, and panicked, now that she was left completely alone, unaware as to what could possibly happen to her. She let her head droop again, figuring that if they were going to ignore her, she might as well use the time well. Everything that happened to her had taken a heavy toll on her, leaving her head pounding each time she moved and dizziness washing over her in waves. Her eyes were starting to close again. Maybe just a few minutes…

The next time the girl awoke, it was dark in the room, the only light from a single bulb hanging from a wire in the ceiling. Something touched her cheek and she tried to bat it away with her hand, only to remember that she was handcuffed as the chain rattled, her hand stopped abruptly by the metal cuff. It took a minute to orient herself, shaking away the last of the dizziness from earlier, to see another standing by her. She edged away from him in her chair, trying to get out of reach, but knowing it was useless. A hand reached for her again, and she whimpered, leaning as far away as possible, but still was caught. Her eyes widened in fear as fingers wound around her thin neck, slowly starting to squeeze.

The more she struggled against him, the tighter it pressed down, slowly cutting off any air supply.

"Go ahead, I like it when they struggle."

She froze immediately, taking gasping breaths when the hold loosened again. When the free hand trailed lower, running over her body, she felt horror and disgust start to pulse through her veins. She did not want to be touched by these dirty hands. She flinched away, only to receive a slap to the face. The hand trailed down, and she froze, her mind going numb. She did not understand. She did not get why she was here. She did not get why this person was doing this to her.

She did not want it. She would not allow it.

At this point, she did the only thing that could have possibly have been done. She let out a blood-curdling scream.

For a moment, this seemed to work, she saw the man flinch away, his hand removed from her. It was then she realized. Her scream would do no good. The fact that no one had done anything about it yet, proved that there were no orders that were being disobeyed. She was alone. This realization made a tear prick her eye, but she was too numb to let anything show.

The man eyed her curiously for a moment, much as a cat would a mouse, as he removed his hand from her throat. He watched, and waited, as if expecting to see something. When the curve of his mouth turned down a bit at the edges, she realized that he did not see it, whatever it was he expected. It took her a few long moments to realize what it was.

Fear.

She understood. He was looking for fear. She was numb, and her eyes only reflected that same numbness, not the fear the man seemed so keen on seeing. His frown grew, and he seemed a bit put off. Her eyes widened as it came to her. This was it. This was her aid. She hardened herself as best she could, and stared back at the figure, her grey eyes becoming cold slates of silver steel.

"It's no fun when they don't scream," He murmured wistfully. Then he brightened. "I wonder what you will scream for."

The blade appeared in his hand, and she felt her heart stutter unevenly. More pain was coming, she knew, and nausea set in. She tightened her lips in some desperate hope to control her stomach, and she closed her eyes, bracing, waiting. It never came, and she felt relief pulse through her as she heard the voice that saved her from more pain.

"What are you doing?"

Her eyes cracked to see the smile on her tormentors face dissipate completely as he turned to the questioner. "I'm jus' havn' a little fun. Is'at so bad?" A growl of disgust rumbled in the others throat, and he narrowed his eyes at the other and hissed, "There's no time for that. One of them is talking, come now."

Orihime felt her eyes widen a bit at this statement, and her mouth opened to ask, but it was too late. They were gone.

* * *

I am so sorry that it took me so long to update. For some reason, Word broke down on my computer, and I've been unable to get it to work again. This chapter is not so good because i wrote it on my brothers computer in like 10 minutes, so I am sorry for that. The next chapter is going to be the big reveal where you finally understand what is going on, and Orihime will finally be free, so please continue reading. I'm sorry to say that Ulquiorra won't be in the next chapter either, but he is coming soon.


End file.
